Many functions of modern devices in automotive, consumer and industrial applications, such as converting electrical energy and driving an electric motor or an electric machine, rely on semiconductor devices. For example Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs), Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) and diodes have been used for various applications including, but not limited to switches in power supplies and power converters.
Sometimes, it can be desirable to provide such power semiconductor devices with a reduced emitter efficiency so as to minimize switching losses. For example, in a reverse conducting IGBT, switching losses due to the reverse recovery of a monolithically integrated diode may be reduced by a reduction of the anode efficiency of the monolithically integrated diode.